Current treatment of persistent epithelial defects, recurrent corneal erosions and corneal wounds is inadequate. An undestanding of the basic cell biology of the repair processes of the corneal epithelium could facilitate the development of rational treatment of these corneal problems. Two major cell processes occur during the healing process of epithelial wounds and defects. They are: movement of the epithelial cells across the wound or abrasion, and development of adhesion organelles between the epithelium and its basement membrane. We propose to do a correlated ultrastructural, histochemical and biochemical study of the three types of cytoplasmic filaments within the corneal epithelium, and to determine their respective roles in cell motility and adhesion. We will particularly investigate the role of intermediate filaments in hemidesmosome formation and actin filament in cell movements. We will determine the effects of drugs which retard and stimulate wound healing, on corneal epithelial cytoplasmic filaments and development of adhesive organelles. Additionally, properties of the cell membrane and basement membrane of normal and abraded healing corneas will be investigated using lectins which are sugar specific ligands. These studies will provide information about how the corneal epithelium heals in a "normal" situation. Utilizing such information will allow us to probe abnormally healing corneas to determine what cell alterations lead to persistent epithelial defects and recurrent corneal erosions.